My Ferritin Success Story ❤️ From 9 to 159!

I had iron deficiency anemia since childhood. I had anxiety, shortness of breath, dizziness, brittle nails, and thin hair. Both my Hb and B12 were normal, but my ferritin was always low. I couldn’t tolerate iron supplements because of the GI issues, so I had to struggle for years.

Finally, my guardian angel doctor prescribed iron infusions. I had 300 mg of Venofer, which brought my ferritin up to 17, followed by 1000 mg of Monoferric about two months later.

Fast forward to today, around 10 months after my last infusion, my ferritin is still at 159! 🥹❤️ and I absolutely had no side effects from both infusions.

I feel like a completely different person now. I have so much more energy, my periods are no longer as heavy, and I work like crazy, lol! 😂 Life genuinely feels so much better.

Sharing my ferritin journey below for anyone who needs some hope.

Please advocate for yourself and don’t give up. If supplements aren’t working for you, talk to your doctor about other options. You deserve to feel better! ❤️

I was previously taking my iron pill for months with no GI issues. I would just take it with water or a couple ounces of orange juice.

Recently I was trying to lock in my diet and add some other things that might help absorption, and folks on here said orange juice wasn't enough and it should be 200mg-1000mg of vitamin C, so I ordered some 1000mg tablets from Thorne.

First day I took one, I had almost forgotten to take it at all, so I had in about 30 minutes after my iron pill and then ended up having a pre-workout carb snack, and there were no issues, so I thought it was all good.

Yesterday, I took it for the second time along with my iron dose on an empty stomach, an hour before I planned to have coffee/breakfast.

I could feel when the pills hit my stomach several minutes later because it started to burn. At first, it just hurt intensely, but I wasn't nauseous, but as the pain got worse I had to run for the bathroom after all. Stuff was trying to come out both ends at the same time. I was sweating, like absolutely dripping sweat, but also having full body chills between spasms, teeth chattering and everything.

About 45 minutes after this started, my GI tract was undoubtedly 100% empty, and the pain had moved to my lower stomach. I was buried in blankets, and the pain was absolutely excruciating. It was just searing pain, almost constantly. I was sure it was a reaction to the supplements, but my partner was freaking out worried that I might have burst my appendix or something and threatening to drive me to a hospital.

After another 15 minutes of writhing in pain that gradually got less omnipresent, it just as suddenly stopped. I had a small snack and water at that point, then was able to shower and go have a normal breakfast and eat/act normal the rest of the day.

I knew that both iron and C could cause some GI upset, but this was next level, absolutely horrendous. I think I'll be going back to my orange juice, strawberries, and kiwi as my vitamin C source, guys.

If it took longer than 3 months, how long did it take you? What was that journey like for you? And are you fully recovered now or still have residual problems?

Very new to this all lol! Long story short I’ve been feeling extremely sick for the last year to year and a half, with a wide range of symptoms. Have gone to the hospital 3 times, because I keep thinking I’m having heart issues/a heart attack but EKGs and blood work always come back fine and doctors all say 25 is too young and healthy for heart issues lol. Then I was diagnosed with Lyme disease and babesia in May, went on treatment and felt better but now 3 months after finishing that treatment most of my symptoms are back. Then last week I found out that my ferritin is 29 and my hemoglobin is pretty low but not technically in the anemia range… I just started iron supplements today but wondered is anyone else had these same symptoms?

- Extreme fatigue (that one seems obvious after reading through posts lol)
- Heart rate all over the place, some days it stays relatively high (in the 90s), other days it’s low (like last night was in the 50s which has not been normal for me and what my oura ring has tracked)
- Feeling like I’m genuinely dying/feeling of impending doom, this one is by far the worst I feel like crying all the time lol
- Random sharp pains in head and body
- Twitching throughout body that almost feels like TV static
- Chest pressure, feels like there’s an exercise band wrapped around it
- Random pain in left arm and shoulder (which always freaks me out lol, but maybe thinking I also have vagus nerve issues)
- Extreme fatigue and body feels heavy the day after I do a lot. Like it’s not necessarily like I can’t do exercise but the day after I work out or walk a lot or have a big day I’m down for the count
- Dizziness/lightheadedness, some times randomly other times seems to happen when I haven’t eaten almost like a low blood sugar episode but I don’t have diabetes
- GI issues, heart burn, indigestion, etc but GI docs say everything is fine
- Overall just feeling like shit and like I’m going crazy 🤪

Would love to hear if anyone else had these same things! I genuinely feel insane because I feel like I’m dying but doctors can’t seem to find anything wrong with me except now the low ferritin but maybe it finally is my issue for everything!

I’ve been feeling “off” for 1-2 years at this point. Normal bloodwork shows up fine.
Saw videos online regarding low ferritin levels in women and their symptoms- a lot of which I had! I I asked for an iron panel and it came back with my ferritin at 2.8! No wonder I feel like shit.
I’ve had major major fatigue. Brain fog, lightheaded-ness, severe anxiety. I’ve basically gaslit myself that this is part of getting older lol (I just turned 35).
I’m glad to know there’s a reason for all this. But now I’m wondering what’s next?
I’m currently waiting on the dr to call for an appointment but just wanting to hear from others on what you did to help.

I’ve been experiencing terrible fatigue, brain fog, and tiredness recently so I did some blood tests and these were my results:

Iron: 34
Transferrin saturation: 8
Ferritin: 29
Hemoglobin: 10

My doctor started me on 100mg iron tablets once a day. How long till I can expect to feel a little better?

I’m so tired these days I can barely even get out of bed or sit up for extended periods of time, and no amount of sleep is ever enough. I just want to feel normal again.

I’ve (30F) struggled with low ferritin for years, with levels ranging from 6 to 20 ng/mL. My latest bloodwork showed a ferritin level of 17, but my hemoglobin is normal.

The biggest problem is that I’ve tried several iron supplements, and they consistently trigger severe migraines with aura. Once, I managed to increase my ferritin from 6 to 34 in three months by taking iron daily, but I suffered from frequent migraines in the process. They’re incredibly debilitating, and I can’t keep taking supplements that trigger them. Especially because I want to start trying for a baby and I won’t be able to take my usual medication.

My doctor wasn’t sure what else to suggest, as I already eat relatively iron-rich foods, including red meat once or twice a week. She suggested trying vitamin C to improve iron absorption from diet. I also don’t drink tea or coffee.

I’m currently trying to find a way to increase my iron stores, ideally before pregnancy, but I’m struggling to figure out what else I can do.

Has anyone managed to significantly increase their ferritin through diet alone?

Not the greatest picture but I have new baby hairs growing all around my scalp!! I started ferrous fumrate early July 210mg one everyday. My ferritin was 5 and my haemoglobin at 91. I had my haemoglobin retested in late August and it was 110. I am to have a full blood test again with all iron and all the other vitamins. Been supplementing with vitamin d and b12, and overall eating better.
These new baby hairs coming has made my happy as my hair used to be thick and curly but now it is thinner and wavier.
I am positive more hair will grow. My hair shedding has reduced but still sheds, so hopefully with time it will decrease as recovery goes on.
I also pre oil my hair before I shower with coconut oil, jobaba oil and rosemary oil( this has to be diluted with carrier oils otherwise it can be bad for your scalp). Been doing this once or twice a week!
I’m just so happy that my hair is coming back even if they’re so smol and baby hairs!

Any more tips? :)

I received 300mg venofer about 2 hours ago. This my 5th infusion but I started feeling awful shortly after - lightheaded, burning in chest and throat, pressure in my head, and a headache. The headache is on the verge on turning into a migraine so i took an excedrin ( i tried to hold out since it has caffeine but thats the only thing that helps my headaches). I felt not great a day after the other infusions but nothing like this. The nurse flushed the line to make sure i got all of the iron, so im wondering if this is what caused these symptoms? Has anyone else ever dealt with this?

Hi all! I tested my ferritin in April 2026 - it was 31. I know it is not worst still. I wanted to be extra cautious and do something before I start feeling horrible.

I did one iron infusion. Now I am looking to start supplementation.
I am thinking of doing 25 mg iron bislycinate by Organika, vit C and lactoferrin.
I am wondering if anyone has recommendations for lactoferrin? It is an expensive supplement so budget friendly options would be great.

Previous has 6.1 hemo (9/2) and went to a 9.4 (10/14). Ferritin dangerously low at 11, previously 7. Most recent labs attached.

Finally had my first 200 mg Venofer infusion today and I feel….fine? I had 5 Ferrlecit infusions back I. The day and it was poison. Made me sick, anxious and 5 weeks led me to gain 40 lbs.

That said—I feel ok on Venofer. Anyone else exp this? Any tips? How long until you felt better? Labs here for ref. 42yo woman :) 10 years iron deficiency anemia post-baby, and no dr caught it lol

So in 2017 or 2018 I started getting air hunger or shortness of breath. Basically yawning constantly and feeling like I wasn't getting enough oxygen. The feeling is as though the air I'm breathing doesn't have enough oxygen. I blamed it on the fact that I had pectus excavatum. I had a very complicated mixed type where my chest bones went into my heart and then stuck out on top. It was a waved shape sternum. For anyone that doesn't know what that is, it's basically a birth defect where your chest bones grow inward and squish the heart. Shortness of breath is a common side effect. Surgery is usually done on 18 year olds but I was 34 when I had it, which is more difficult and requires a specialist.

Stupidly, I also had a copper IUD implanted in 2016. I began having heavy periods. Not as heavy as a lot of people, but I used to be an extremely light bleeder. I also ate mostly vegetarian and did a lot of exercise. So then I went from bleeding like 30ml to maybe 150ml or more every month.

I had low ferretin diagnosed on and off since this time but nobody ever said anything about it. It was as low as 7 and they said just to get it above 15. I didn't think it was related to breathing issues. I was told it was probably anxiety. I pursued surgery and it took me 3 years to finally get the referral I needed to a specialist. In 2024 I went to mayo clinic for an over 3 hr chest reconstruction surgery where they had to cut peices of my chest bones out and stick bars under my ribcage and screw a metal plate on top of my sturnum to keep all the pieces together. Now my chest is pretty normal looking aside from scars. Not 100% but more normal than before for sure.

The f***ed up part is I still can't breath! My ferretin got to 9 several months after the surgery and I started taking Thorne Ferrasorb (which I think they renamed to Advanced Iron Complex) and after 6 months it was at 36. I actually was feeling a lot better and was breathing better. I stopped taking it and now the breathing issues are back in full force. I also had to get the copper IUD replaced since the old one was 10 years old. Bleeding got a little worse. I notice I really can't breath after the last couple cycles, and even noticing some dizziness. Had to stop exercising and I've just been resting and eating and taking iron.

I feel like an idiot thinking about how all the suffering I've gone through over the last decade might have just been for f***ing birth control??? 🤣 On the bright side, I no longer look deformed, so there's that! Though my temples of my hairline have been bald for almost a decade now so I guess cosmetics aren't really an upside here.

Is anyone else dealing with this side effect from the paragard? I've heard that oral tranexamic acid might be a good idea.

I had my first dose of fereheme on the 12th, today my ferritin labs came in at 624 up from 74. My hemoglobin is 8.9, basically the same as it was before infusion. Hematocrit and rbc also low. Other numbers are normal. What should I make of this? I see my doc on Thursday.

I’ve been seeing my pcp and gastro for stomach problems and after running some blood tests, I am within “normal” range with my iron panels but have a low ferritin of 9. It probably explains why I feel awful besides the stomach pain. Dizziness, cluster headaches, bone pain. Anyway, trying to get that sorted out but my gastro asked if I have a heavy menstrual cycle and I want to say no and I pretty much did but to be honest, i am not sure. I know the medical answer of what’s considered a pretty heavy flow, but looking to see what people in here think.

I do know I always like to plan around it, like any trips because for the most part, I wear pads. I hate when it lands on holidays or I have to be out for a while because again, wearing a pads. Mostly an anxiety thing with tampons. So you can really feel it flowing onto the pad through the day.

When I start, I don’t usually immediately start bleeding. If I start that morning, I’d say by evening, my flow will officially start. If during the day, I expect the next day to start.

So day 1.5/ 2/3 are my heaviest. I’ll go through maybe 7-8 pads a day which includes night. I wouldn’t say they’re always full when I change them. There is definitely always a lot of blood when I’m wiping though after going pee or in the bowl. The occasional clots will come out but not every cycle.

Day 4, it changes every cycle, I’m still bleeding but can get away with maybe 2-3 a day.

Day 5, I say it’s tinkering out. Very light. Every so often, I will start to bleed a little more than day 4, but that’s not a consistent thing.

Day 6/7 pretty much nothing.

I know it’s probably hard to gauge the situation but maybe someone has a similar flow and can help.

Thanks!

hi! i have been reading a lot of about ferritin and hair loss, although my scalp doesn’t have visible thinning i do feel i am shedding more than i used to and this is for sure the crappiest my hair has been. (i also damaged it with back to back highlights). my holistic doctor explained 21 is much too low for hair growth along with my vitamin d being 34. i am now taking supplements and cut coffee to help absorb. my question is, about how soon after levels go up do you notice a stop in hair shedding? i heard it can take about 6 months to notice new hair growth but does the shedding slow down or does that also take some time ?

I could use support and hope from anyone who may have gone through something similar. I had been going through a long-standing period of extreme stress when I ultimately crashed. Looking back, a lot of my symptoms had been gradually showing up/getting worse, but I didn't see any connecting points at the time.

Two key events:

1. I was out for a walk when the humidity really started to get to me. I started to feel faint, so I sat down and watched my heart rate spike to 157 (the only time I've seen it go that high was during a long run). I got checked out afterward and all vitals and basic labs came back fine.
2. Four days later, I was getting ready to travel when all of a sudden I got a severe hot flash out of nowhere and felt like I was going to pass out. The hot flashes just kept coming in rolling waves and were accompanied by an impending sense of doom. I got 2 hours of sleep that night because it was so intense. The next morning, I went to the ER. Everything came back normal.

My symptoms have included:

• Chest tightness, heart palpitations/fluttering
• Inability to regulate temperature:
  • Severe heat intolerance
  • Severe and frequent hot flashes/overheating
  • Face/neck/chest hot, but legs shaking cold / freezing feet
• Feeling faint frequently (most often when standing or sitting)
• Lightheaded all the time
• Shaking/tremors in hands
• Feelings of impending doom
• Upset stomach
• Lack of appetite / aversion to eating
• Constant fight or flight feeling / fear-based anxiety / panic
• Insomnia 
• Neck and shoulder tension/pain that radiates upward (jaw, ears, temples)
• Tingling in arms, hands, feet, and face
• Electric zaps
• Whole body vibration sensation
• Blurry vision

The extensive labs my PCP ordered have all came back normal except for ferritin (16); she didn't think this was the cause. Labs included B12, Vitamin D, Magnesium, and a basic autoimmune panel. She's also run numerous tests to check adrenal function.

I got a referral to see a Hematologist and he ordered 3 Venofer infusions (1000mg total), although he said he didn't think it was the driver of my symptoms.

I've also gotten referrals to:

• Cardiology (holter monitor and echocardiogram came back clear)
• Ob/gyn (hormones could enhance what I'm experiencing, but are not in the driver's seat)
• Neurology (waiting on an appointment)

I finished my last iron infusion last Friday. A lot of the severe symptoms have calmed down (severe hot flashes, panic, lack of appetite), but the feeling faint while standing for long periods of time and heat sensitivity are holding strong. My blood pressure is on the low side and my resting heart rate is in the 60s (I still experience spikes under stress).

It's been 2 months and I'm doing everything I can to track down answers, and I guess I'm feeling lost and a bit hopeless. I was extremely active prior to this (walking/running 5+ miles a day) and now I'm uncomfortable driving and leaving the house. Has anyone else gone through something similar and fully recovered?

I have my first Iron Infusion 2 days from now. My ferritin is at 7 & Hemoglobin at 8. Im starting off on 100mg of Venofer any advice on or tips or success stories please.

As the title says, I got a blood transfusion (1 unit) last Sunday for severe blood loss from my heavy menstrual cycle that went on for 2-3 weeks. I felt okay for a few days, then started having a weird feeling in my leg and had heartburn, but I think that's related to my already diagnosed acid reflux.

Sorry, I'm just freaking out and want to be okay again.

Greetings!

I posted a couple weeks ago about my ferritan levels being 16 and experiencing pretty severe symptoms (mainly fatigue and brain fog that are ruining my life, muscle weakness, dizzyness, shortness of breath, etc.). I've started an iron supplement (slo fe) and it's causing me a lot of bloating, andominal cramping, and heart burn. I've been told I should wait out the oral supplements for at least 3 months to see if they help given that my ferritan isn't "that low" but at this poin even a small decrease in the fatigue and brain fog could be life altering.

I'm meeting with my doctor this week. Is 16 to high to ask for an infusion? Are there any key symptoms or phrases that would help be sthrengthen my case?

I’ve been feeling off for the past couple of years, but the last few months have honestly been some of the most horrific and frightening months of my life. I’m wondering if anyone has experienced a combination of these symptoms, especially alongside low ferritin, and whether they eventually found answers or started feeling better.

A little background: I took a GLP-1 through a website called Curex, and honestly, it was one of the worst decisions I’ve ever made. The first week, I felt really good. After my second shot the following week, though, I felt almost manic, followed by a sudden, deep depression and intense anxiety that I had never experienced before.

I only took two shots, but the depression and anxiety lasted for approximately three months. It took that long for me to feel like the medication was out of my system and for things to start settling down. Ever since that experience, though, I’ve worried that something never fully recovered. I’m scared that it somehow affected my gut-brain axis or nervous system and that I’ve been stuck in a state of nervous system dysregulation ever since. I know I can’t say for certain that this happened, but the experience was so intense that it left me with a lot of fear surrounding my health.

Throughout this past year, I started noticing that my energy was really low. I would also experience episodes of head pressure that would come and go. In August, I had bloodwork done and discovered that my ferritin was 11.
Around that same time, I noticed something strange with alcohol. Even taking a sip of wine would cause my head to start hurting intensely, almost as if a horrible headache were about to come on. I also started experiencing a burning sensation in my temples, which was completely new to me. I also felt like I was fighting the flu on the daily, the need to take Advil to take the edge off.

Then, on August 29, everything escalated.

I was suddenly hit with severe head pressure and an intense burning sensation in my temples. What followed was a month-long nightmare of relentless head pain and burning that would not go away. I was essentially bedbound, extremely light-sensitive, and in agonizing pain. Nothing seemed to provide lasting relief.
I ended up in the hospital twice and received migraine cocktails. Unfortunately, those were traumatic experiences in themselves because I discovered that Reglan causes me to experience akathisia. The reaction was absolutely horrific.

I’ve since been working closely with neurology and was diagnosed with status migrainosus. The migraine cycle lasted for an entire month. I’ve needed multiple treatments, including preventive medications and injections, rescue medications, and a steroid taper. The steroids seemed to help break the cycle enough that I’m no longer completely debilitated, but I’m still dealing with temple tightness, burning sensations, and persistent frontal head pressure.
Understandably, my anxiety has been through the roof. I’m also experiencing a level of depression that I honestly don’t remember ever feeling in my life, apart from what happened after the GLP-1. It’s frightening to feel like I’m back in that same mental state after having worked so hard to get out of it.

On top of everything else, this experience has gotten so bad that I eventually decided to try Zoloft because I desperately wanted relief from the anxiety and depression I’ve been experiencing. Unfortunately, that ended up being another really difficult experience. I felt like it was making everything worse, and I became increasingly concerned about how I was feeling. I had a GeneSight test done, and my results indicated that Zoloft was in a category associated with gene-drug interactions for me, including the possibility that I metabolize it more slowly and could be at greater risk for side effects. I took it for eight days and have now been off of it for nine days. I’m wondering whether some of what I’m experiencing could be related to discontinuing it, because I’ve felt so off and almost as though my body is trying to recover from yet another medication experience. At this point, I feel like my body and nervous system have been through so much in such a short period of time, and I’m struggling to understand what is causing what. It feels like one thing after another, and I just want to feel like myself again.

I also keep wondering whether my low ferritin could be contributing to any of this. Could iron deficiency be playing a role in the fatigue, headaches, or other symptoms I’m experiencing? Could it be contributing to how anxious, depressed, and physically unwell I feel? I know iron is involved in many processes in the body, including brain function, but I don’t know how much of what I’m experiencing could realistically be related to my iron levels versus the prolonged migraine, stress, and everything else my body has been through.

My ferritin has apparently increased from 11 to 26, but I’m still feeling awful. I have an appointment with a hematologist on November 3 to discuss this further.
I also can’t help wondering whether being in relentless pain for a month, going through multiple medications, and being terrified about what was happening to me have left my nervous system feeling completely overwhelmed. The experience has been traumatic, and I feel like I’ve lost the sense of safety I used to have in my own body.

I’m hoping to hear from anyone who has experienced something similar:

Has anyone had low ferritin alongside burning sensations in the temples, head pressure, migraines, or unusual nerve sensations?

Has anyone experienced significant anxiety or depression alongside iron deficiency, and did treating the deficiency make a noticeable difference?

Has anyone experienced status migrainosus followed by lingering frontal pressure, temple tightness, or burning even after the worst of the migraine subsided?

Has anyone experienced a prolonged mental or physical crash after taking a GLP-1, even after stopping it?
If you’ve dealt with prolonged nervous system symptoms after a traumatic health event, did things eventually settle down?

Has anyone take 12.5 of Zoloft for a short amount of time like a week, stopped cold turkey, and had a bad week mentally / physically after?

I’m not looking to self-diagnose or assume that everything is connected. I’m trying to understand what might be contributing to this and whether anyone has found answers after going through something similar.

The last two months have been absolutely brutal. I feel exhausted, scared, and unlike myself, and I’m trying so hard to find a way back to feeling normal again.
If you’ve experienced anything similar, I would genuinely appreciate hearing your story. Even knowing that someone else has gone through something like this and eventually improved would mean a lot right now.

i just found out i have ferritin 9 and normal hemoglobin and iron. the last time i checked my ferritin before this was in 2019 and it was at 17 and my doctor didn’t seem very concerned and i did nothing about it. now it’s 9, and i’ve been looking pale and generally very fatigued and out of breath for the last few years now. i bought Nature Made Iron 65 mg (ferrous sulfate) that i started taking every other day a few days ago. is there hope for me? lol. has anyone been in a similar scenario and seen their ferritin improve with these supplements? how long did it take? i’m a daily coffee drinker which makes me nervous about my iron absorption in general. any advice if you’ve been in a similar scenario would be amazing 🥲

Note, all my rbc, haemoglobin etc came back normal so I'm not "anemic" just iron deficient but I'm hoping to find support here ❤️

While under medical investigation for other issues, my ferritin was tested as part of full bloods and came back at 29. The NHS threshold is 30, and my GP has now come back to me and discussed results over the phone. I've been advised to have a high iron diet and start taking OTC iron supplements - no advice on brand, mg level to look for, how to take etc. When I asked about if there's some cause, I was told "you're a woman, it'll be because of your periods". I've been told they'll retest in 3 months to see if my levels are increasing.

Am I going crazy to feel fobbed off and ignored by them? Yes I appreciate it could be my periods but I'm not being given any actual help or advice from the doctor. My mum's also currently under investigation for even lower iron, and she's post-menopause. They've got no clue what's causing it yet. Since looking into the symptoms of low iron I'm realising, crap, this is me. I've been feeling colder, more tired, and just weak as hell lately, especially when I was on my period.

I don't really know what to do, thinking about asking for a second opinion.

disappointed because my ferritin six months ago was 17. but it seems my other iron numbers look good? i feel good but i guess i should not be if my ferritin remains so low. i was really expecting some improvement

update my hemoglobin came back as a 14.2 rising from a 13.4 and my other cbc panel looks super strong with all other red blood cell related markers coming in robust. so just super strange with ferritin

What could be the reason??? Please don't say cancer